Birmingham Stallions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field. They competed in all three USFL seasons, 1983-1985, and seemed to be one of the league's better-run and more viable franchises, an organization which could have had a chance to have succeeded if the USFL organization as a whole had been better-funded and better-run. The team's coach was Rollie Dotsch, who was previously an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers during its Super Bowl years. The Stallions most well-known quarterback, Cliff Stoudt, was a long-time backup with the Steelers. He proved to be quite talented when given a chance to play, as did many other Stallions players, some of whom went on to have at least brief careers in the NFL once the USFL went out of existence.
Contents |
[edit] Single season leaders
- Rushing Yards: 1467 (1984), Joe Cribbs
- Receiving Yards: 1607 (1984), Jim Smith (also league record)
- Passing Yards: 3188 (1985), Cliff Stoudt
[edit] Season-by-season
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 4th Central | -- |
| 1984 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1st EC Southern | Won Quarterfinal (Tampa Bay) Lost Semifinal (Philadelphia) |
| 1985 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1st EC | Won Quarterfinal (Houston) Lost Semifinal (Baltimore) |
| Totals | 38 | 20 | 0 | (including playoffs) | |
[edit] After Football
A few of those associated with the Stallions made their mark in Birmingham after the league folded:
- Joey Jones, who played wide receiver, coached football at two local high schools. In 2006, he become the first head football coach at Birmingham Southern College. In 2008, after just one year at BSC, he returned to his hometown of Mobile and started the college football program at the University of South Alabama.
- Joe Cribbs returned to the NFL to finish out his football career. He returned to Birmingham to help those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
- Jim Hilyer, an assistant coach, went on to be the first ever football coach at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He would also be an assistant to three other pro football teams to play in Birmingham. After football, he was an instructor in physical fitness at the Birmingham Police Academy.
- Buddy Aydelette is a city councilman with Trussville. Aydelette played offensive lineman for the Stallions, and the University of Alabama.
[edit] Trivia
The Stallions were the first pro football team to draft Jerry Rice. They received the overall pick in the 1985USFL Draft, due to a trade with the Orlando Renegades. Rice never played in Birmingham.
Among those considered to be Birmingham's coach were Bobby Bowden, Gene Stallings, and Hank Stram.
[edit] External links
| United States Football League Coaches | Players | Radio coverage | Seasons | Television coverage | Venues |
| Arizona Wranglers (1983-84) | Birmingham Stallions (1983-85) | Boston/New Orleans/Portland Breakers (1983-85) | Chicago Blitz (1983-84) | Denver Gold (1983-85) | Los Angeles Express (1983-85) | Michigan Panthers (1983-84) | New Jersey Generals (1983-85) | Oakland Invaders (1983-85) | Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (1983-85) | Tampa Bay Bandits (1983-85) | Washington Federals/Orlando Renegades (1983-85) | Houston Gamblers (1984-85) | Jacksonville Bulls (1984-85) | Memphis Showboats (1984-85) | Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws (1984-85) | Pittsburgh Maulers (1984) | San Antonio Gunslingers (1984-85) |
